Warhead cone latching device



1956 c. B. SILVERTHORNE 3,277,826

WARHEAD CONE LATCHING DEVICE Filed July 25, 1965 INVENTOR Clarence B. Silver/home United States Patent.

3,277,826 WARHEAD CONE LATCHING DEVICE Clarence B. Silverthorne, Bel Air, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed July 23, 1965, Ser. No. 474,530

Claims. (Cl. 102-925) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to military rockets and more particularly to a novel latching device that will greatly facilitate the method of either fastening or removing the nose cone from the warhead or rocket body.

The main object of this invention is to quickly and eificiently raise or remove the nose cone from a rocket body in order that a fuze may be installed onto said rocket body pedestal and after the fuze installation, to secure or lock said nose cone onto said rocket body within a time period of five minutes.

One of the more important military requirements is that equipment including weapons and munitions be designed for either a quick change-over, assembly, or disassembly of parts. This requirement is even more demanding if the equipment, weapons and munition are assembled and disassemble-d on the battlefield located particularly in the arctic region where (bulky) protective clothing, especially arctic mittens must be worn at all times.

The instant nose cone latching device is designed to conform to military requirements; said nose cone is to be secured to said warehead body in the allotted time of (5) minutes, using standard hand tools with the operator wearing heavy, cumbersome arctic mittens.

The prior method consisted of using flush head screws to fasten said nose cone onto said warhead body. This method proved to be unsatisfactory because said time factor was too long and said method too cumbersome.

With my novel latching device, it is possible to remove and/or attach said nose cone onto said warhead body in a matter of minutes, without the use of any tools and employing bulky, cumbersome arctic mittens.

Other objects and the features of novelty will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross section of the nose cone, held in its closed position by means of my latching device. FIG- URE 2 is a partial perspective view of the forward end of a rocket showing the nose cone in the raised position and held therein by means of my latching device. FIG- URE 3 is a partial perspective view of the forward end of a rocket showing the nose cone in its attached or locked position.

Referring to FIGURE 1, reference characters 3 denotes the nose cone and its relation to either the warhead body or rocket body 5. The nose cone 3 has attached to its interior wall an annular ring 7 with an integral lug 9 parallel and equidistant from said edge 8 and the tip of the nose cone. The annular ring 7 is so constructed that it fits or mates with the internal conical surface of said nose cone 3.- The warhead body 5 is provided with a bowl shaped pedestal 11 having a circular, lateral shoulder 12 wherein said pedestal '11 supports a centrally located fuze 13 and said shoulder 12 supports said nose cone 3. A square retaining tube 15 is fastened to the inner wall of said pedestal 11 in alignment with cutout 6 of said nose cone 3. Said retaining tube 15 is so designed that a square slide bar 17 is contained therein. The slide bar 17 has an upper engagement slot 19 and 3,277,326 Patented Oct. 11, 1966 ice a lower engagement slot 21. The lower slot 21 is located a sufiicient distance from the rearward end of the slide bar 17 so that when the cone is raised about one inch off the rearward end of the slide bar remains in the tube 15. The upper extremity of said slide bar 17 penetrates said integral lug 9 and is fastened within said lug 9 by means of set screw 23. The retaining tube .15 has a bifurcated bracket 25 fastenend at its upper end adjacent to said nose cone cutout and at the midpoint of said tube 15, in line with said bracket 25, a bifurcated bracket 27 pivotally containing by means of pin 29, a hooked shaped pawl 31. The upper portion of said pawl 31 is designed to generally rest within said bifurcated bracket 25. The upper end of said hooked shaped pawl 31 is designed to engage either slot 19 or slot 21. The lower extremity of said pawl 31 is pivotally contained by means of pin 33 within a forked rod 35. The rod 35 extends through the wall of said pedestal 11 terminating within a cutout 37 in said pedestal 11 wherein said rod is attached to an elongated detent button 39. The forked rod 35 is encompassed by an expansion spring 41 which is contained within a wall 43 in said pedestal 11.

In operation, to elevate the nose cone 3 from said locked position (see FIGURES 1, 3) the operator presses the elongated detent button 39 attached to said forked rod 35 With his finger. This action, depressing spring 41, pivots said pawl 31 and disengages the hooked end of said pawl 31 from the upper engagment slot 19 thereby releasing slide bar 17. This action frees said nose cone 3 which can now be lifted off said shoulder 12 of said warhead pedestal 11. The nosecone 3 is locked in this raised position by means of the hooked end of said pawl 31 which under the influence of the expansion spring 41 drops into the lower engagment slot 21. The reverse procedure =locks said nose cone 3 onto the warhead body 5. At assembly, said detent button 39 meshes within said cutout 6 while the outer surface of said button 39 is flush with the skin of said nose cone 3 and remains flush during the flight of the rocket. This is an important aspect of my invention since the rocket must have a smooth surface during flight to reduce its air resistance to a minimum.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A military warhead cone latching device which comprises in combination:

(a) a nose cone,

(1) ring means mounted within said cone,

(2) rearwardly projecting notched slide means mounted on said ring means,

(b) a warhead body,

(1) pedestal means on the forward end of said body adapted to receive said nose cone,

(2) forwardly projecting tube means mounted on said pedestal means adapted to receive said slide means,

(i) spring biased pawl means mounted on said tube means whereby said pawl means will engage the notches of said slide means when said cone is moved forwardly or rearwardly,

(3) pawl release means mounted in said pedestal means and extending to the periphery of said warhead whereby the pawl means can be released from said notches by actuation of the release means at the periphery of said warhead.

3 2. A military warhead cone latching device which comprises in combination: (a) -a nose cone,

(1) an annular ring mounted Within said cone at a pretermined distance fro mthe tip of said cone,

(2) a rearwardly projecting slide .bar mounted on said ring,

(i) said slide bar having notches therein at predetermined intervals,

(b) a warhead body,

( 1) a bowl shaped pedestal attached to the forward end of said body adapted to receive said nose cone,

(2) a forwardly projecting retaining tube mounted on said pedestal adapted to receive and retain said slide bar,

(i) said tube having a spring biased pawl mounted thereon whereby said pawl will engage the forwardmost notch of said slide bar when said cone is closed and will engage the rearrnost notch of said slide bar when said cone is opened,

(3) pawl release means mounted in said pedestal and extending to the periphery of said warhead whereby the pawl means can be released from 25 said notches by actuation of the release means at the periphery of said warhead.

3. A latching device as set forth in claim 2 in which said slide bar is square shaped.

4. A latching device as set forth in claim 2 in which said retaining tube has a bifurcated bracket thereon to receive and guide said pawl.

5. A latching device as set forth in claim 2 in which said pawl release means comprises a spring biased detent button connected to said pawl by means of a bifurcated rod whereby the outer surface of the detent butt-on when not in use is even with the outer surface of said nose cone and said warhead body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,063,240 11/1962 Ledwith 60-35.6 3,070,015 12/ 1962 'LedWith 102-49 3,111,900 11/1963 Fitton 102-49 3,137,232 6/1964- Andras 10249 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,386,384 10/1945 Barnum et al.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. R. F. STAHL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MILITARY WARHEAD CONE LATCHING DEVICE WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION: (A) A NOSE CONE, (1) RING MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CONE, (2) REARWARDLY PROJECTING NOTCHED SLIDE MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID RING MEANS (B) A WARHEAD BODY, (1) PEDESTAL MEANS ON THE FORWARD END OF SAID BODY ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID NOSE CONE, (2) FORWARDLY PROJECTING TUBE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID PEDESTAL MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID SLIDE MEANS, (I) SPRING BIASED PAWL MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID TUBE MEANS WHEREBY SAID PAWL MEANS WILL ENGAGE THE NOTCHES OF SAID SLIDE MEANS WHEN SAID CONE IS MOVED FORWARDLY OR REARWARDLY, (3) PAWL RELEASE MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID PEDESAL MEANS AND EXTENDING TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WARHEAD WHEREBY THE PAWL MEANS CAN BE RELEASED FROM SAID NOTCHES BY ACTUATION OF THE RELEASE MEANS AT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WARHEAD. 